Storm destroys camper north of Lockridge

A storm that came through the area Thursday night destroyed a camper and severely damaged a garage near Lockridge.

Richard and Kim Swanson awoke this morning to discover debris strewn across their land north of Lockridge. The worst damage was suffered by their camper, which was ripped to shreds.

“We had a lot of stuff in the camper, too, because we had packed it for the state fair,” Kim said.

Kim said she and her husband had no idea such a strong storm was on the horizon. She received a flood alert on her phone, but nothing else, and particularly nothing about a tornado.

At about 8 p.m., the Swanson’s house was being pelted with heavy rain, and then the wind picked up. They moved into a closet for safety.

“The front door blew open,” Kim said. “It took both of us to close the door. That’s when it got really windy, and I looked out the back door. The rain was going in circles, and it was even hailing. That’s when the tornado took our camper. It’s completely destroyed. There’s nothing left of it.”

The Swansons learned Friday the extent of the damage: A lean-to on the east side of the garage is gone; a garage door is blown in on a car, and the wall on the west side of the garage is gone.

The garage is not attached to the house, and so far the Swansons don’t know if there was damage to their home.

“Electricians are here looking at the wiring,” Kim said this morning. “Hopefully, it’s OK.”